Syphilis Rates Spike Among Gay & Bisexual Men In U.S.

In 2015, gay and bisexual men accounted for more than 60 percent of early stage syphilis cases overall. And the national rate of early stage syphilis for this group was estimated to be at 309 cases per 100,000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That rate was 106 times higher than the rate among heterosexual men and 168 times higher than the rate among women, the CDC report noted.

Citing the report, Web MD writes:

The report, which looked at syphilis rates in 44 states, was led by Alex de Voux of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service, and published April 7 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The data showed syphilis rates among gay and bisexual men ranged widely among the 44 states -- from 73 per 100,000 in Alaska to 748 per 100,000 in North Carolina. The highest rates were in the South and West.

"People in the South often experience poorer health outcomes than the rest of the nation, due to multiple factors including income inequality, poverty, and high numbers of people without health insurance," according to the CDC.